Former Camp Lejeune land owners hold reunion

Melanie Hartsfield Sheldon of Hubert, Durwood Baggett of Wilmington and Cliff Gillette of Havelock, all descendants of landowners look back at some of the history of former landowners of Camp Lejeune during a reunion held at CourtHouse Bay Sunday afternoon.

John Sudbrink/The Daily News

By MATTHEW ADKINS - Daily News Staff

Published: Monday, October 7, 2013 at 11:44 AM.

Families gathered Sunday on ground that once belonged to their ancestors, but that now helps train thousands of military members.

More than 150 people joined together Sunday afternoon at Courthouse Bay Bachelor Officer’s Quarters in Camp Lejeune for the 68th annual Former Landowners of Camp Lejeune Reunion.

Families gathered to look at memorabilia, swap family history and enjoy a selection of homemade food.

“Even a short visit back home is better than none at all,” said Charlotte Dexter, the coordinator for the Former Landowners of Camp Lejeune Association. Dexter helped organize and spoke at the event. “There are so many people I wouldn’t have met if we hadn’t started doing the reunions. It’s wonderful because every time I come to this thing I discover another cousin I didn’t know I had.”

Land for Camp Lejeune was acquired in 1941 by the government as the nation geared up for World War II. For the 652 families already living there, a mass evacuation was conducted and thousands of people were displaced, often without adequate compensation.

Former residents of the area turned to each other for support. They held their first reunion July 1945 at Fulchers Landing in Sneads Ferry. According to historian L. J. Kimball, the initial gatherings were informally organized and mostly centered around specific families.

In 1989, former landowners and their descendants began meeting at the picnic grounds of Courthouse Bay Marina in Camp Lejeune. Future reunions were agreed in 1996 to be set on the first Sunday in October, and the tradition has since continued.

Families gathered Sunday on ground that once belonged to their ancestors, but that now helps train thousands of military members.

More than 150 people joined together Sunday afternoon at Courthouse Bay Bachelor Officer’s Quarters in Camp Lejeune for the 68th annual Former Landowners of Camp Lejeune Reunion.

Families gathered to look at memorabilia, swap family history and enjoy a selection of homemade food.

“Even a short visit back home is better than none at all,” said Charlotte Dexter, the coordinator for the Former Landowners of Camp Lejeune Association. Dexter helped organize and spoke at the event. “There are so many people I wouldn’t have met if we hadn’t started doing the reunions. It’s wonderful because every time I come to this thing I discover another cousin I didn’t know I had.”

Land for Camp Lejeune was acquired in 1941 by the government as the nation geared up for World War II. For the 652 families already living there, a mass evacuation was conducted and thousands of people were displaced, often without adequate compensation.

Former residents of the area turned to each other for support. They held their first reunion July 1945 at Fulchers Landing in Sneads Ferry. According to historian L. J. Kimball, the initial gatherings were informally organized and mostly centered around specific families.

In 1989, former landowners and their descendants began meeting at the picnic grounds of Courthouse Bay Marina in Camp Lejeune. Future reunions were agreed in 1996 to be set on the first Sunday in October, and the tradition has since continued.

Few original residents now remain, eight of which were present at the Sunday reunion. Joining the former land owners this year was new commanding general, Brig. Gen. Robert Castellvi, who expressed his appreciation for their sacrifices.

“Earlier this week someone questioned whether or not we would still have this reunion during the government shutdown,” Castellvi said. “It was unanimous that we continue this event because we owe it to these people. We wouldn’t be here on this base if it wasn’t for them and their descendants. There are hundreds of thousands of Marines alive today because of this base, because of the sacrifices everyone made in 1941.”

Castellvi also acknowledged the unjust compensation given to displaced families at the time and assured further progress concerning future access to Camp Lejeune.

“Everyone knows what the stakes were in World War II, and I’m sure some families were not compensated as well as they needed to be,” he said. “This place is your home and it shouldn’t take a reunion for you to be able to come back and visit. I want to make sure you always have a special access to this base.”

An extensive collection of appraisal photographs, digitally scanned letters and commentary from the acquisition period may be freely found at marinebasehomes.smugmug.com.